WilsonMiller Wins Business Ethics Award

June 18, 2007

Naples, Fla. – WilsonMiller, Inc., was selected from among 48 nominees and three finalists to receive the 2007 Uncommon Friends Foundation Business Ethics Award, which recognizes a business that demonstrates high standards of ethical behavior in all levels of the organization.

WilsonMiller CEO Alan D. Reynolds, AICP, accepted the award on behalf of the company during “An Uncommon Evening,” a dinner and awards program held at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs, Fla., on June 7. More than 350 business leaders from across Southwest Florida attended the event.

The Uncommon Friends Foundation is a character education foundation whose mission is to instill ethics, moral values, and a sense of purpose in tomorrow's leaders. The Foundation and name evolved from James D. Newton’s book, Uncommon Friends, which concerned five inspirational men who were influential in shaping the 20th century: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Dr. Alexis Carrel, and Charles Lindbergh. Formed in 1993 through a historic partnership between the City of Fort Myers and Lee County, the Foundation works closely with local, state, and national business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, government leaders, and benefactors.

To select the Business Ethics Award winner, the Foundation enlisted an impartial team of nationally respected ethics professionals, including Gerald Cavanagh, S.J., Ph.D., Chair of Business Ethics, University of Detroit Mercy and author of American Business Values: With International Perspectives; Charles Fornaciari, Ph.D., Uncommon Friends Chair of Ethics and Director of the Institute of Business & Professional Ethics at Florida Gulf Coast University's Lutgert College of Business; Annette Jacobs, Chair and CEO of the SafeHarbor Technology Corp. in Seattle, Wash.; and Thomas J. Flood, Senior Vice President of Sales for the HomeBanc Mortgage Corp. in Atlanta, Ga.

"The judges were impressed by WilsonMiller's attention to ethics in both its formal systems and its ongoing culture,” Dr. Fornaciari said. “They especially applaud the numerous instances where the WilsonMiller team clearly used its ethical principles as the main basis for making tough business decisions."

“The goal for all organizations should be to create a culture that develops, encourages and rewards the highest ethical standards,” said Arlene Roth, Executive Director of Uncommon Friends Foundation. “This program provides regional business leaders with outstanding examples of system-wide business ethics programs they can use as models for their own companies.”

“We were honored to be nominated, and very humbled to be selected from among such an outstanding group of companies,” Reynolds said. “I cannot think of a more meaningful award for the employees and clients of our firm, as they all contributed to this recognition.”

“We begin our values statement with these words: ‘Honesty and integrity come first,’ ” Reynolds added. “We emphasize this with each new employee during orientation and expect adherence to professional codes of conduct and ethical business practices throughout their careers.”

“This award is being shared by everyone in our firm for consistently upholding our core values of honesty and integrity in all of our business dealings,” said WilsonMiller President Fermin A. Diaz, P.E. “We take great pride in being our client’s trusted advisors, which in turn demands adherence to the highest principles of ethical conduct. Above all, we are dedicated to protecting and improving public health, safety, and welfare.”

ABOUT WILSONMILLER:

WilsonMiller is a multidisciplinary planning, design, engineering, and surveying firm with a history of more than 50 years in professional consulting. From 11 offices, the firm offers a single source of high-level, diverse services for land management, infrastructure, transportation, and environmental projects to public and private clients throughout Florida and beyond. WilsonMiller ranks among the Top 150 Design Firms in the United States, according to Engineering News-Record’s 2007 list. The corporate headquarters are located in the Wilson Professional Building, 3200 Bailey Lane, Suite 200, Naples, FL 34105.